MP Alistair Macgregor Introduces Bill To Address Freighter Anchorages In The Salish Sea
MP Alistair Macgregor Introduces Bill To Address Freighter Anchorages In The Salish Sea
October 29, 2020
Unceded Coast Salish Territory/Vancouver, BC – This week, NDP MP for Cowichan-Malahat-Langford Alistair MacGregor introduced a Private Member’s Bill to prohibit the anchoring of freighters in the Southern Strait of Georgia. The Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society – British Columbia (CPAWS-BC) is supporting this amendment to the Canada Shipping Act, along with partners including First Nations, local government, and community activist groups.
For years, Southern Strait of Georgia residents have been sounding the alarm over the damage anchored ships do to coastal waters in BC. This overflow parking lot for the Port of Vancouver scars the seafloor habitat of clams, oysters and prawns. Noise, light and chemical pollution from these ships damages the critical habitat of the endangered Southern Resident killer whales.
Transport Canada’s 2018 Interim Protocol for the Use of Southern B.C. Anchorages did not adequately address this problem. These measures were voluntary and not enforced. The citizens and wildlife of the region deserve stronger protections.
World-renowned ocean explorer Jacques Cousteau called for the Southern Strait of Georgia’s protection in 1970. Parks Canada has been working on creating a National Marine Conservation Area Reserve (NMCAR) for the area since 2003. Almost two decades later, these waters are still not protected.
“An NMCAR would not only protect these waters from anchorages, but will manage commercial and recreational fishing and other human activities with a conservation-first approach,” says Ross Jameson, Ocean Conservation Manager for CPAWS-BC. An NMCAR will ensure that this natural jewel remains healthy and prosperous for generations to come.
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For interviews, please contact:
Ross Jameson,
Ocean Conservation Manager
ross@cpawsbc.org
778-953-2372
Resources:
Photo by Jeff Gunn via Flickr (CC BY 2.0)